Health services have been adversely affected due to ongoing strike by junior doctors at Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), the premier hospital of the state.

Junior doctors had gone on strike accusing hospital administration of ‘deliberately’ failing them in their post graduate examination. They alleged that they were punished when they raised issues in the interest of patients. OPD service at PMCH in particular has been hit due to strike even and patients are compelled to go to private hospitals, escalating the cost of their treatment in the process.

On the other hand, teachers at PMCH said that those students who studied well became successful and those who did not take their studies seriously failed. Meanwhile, PMCH Superintendent Dr Rajeev Ranjan Prasad said that on an average, 3000 patients were visiting OPD at PMCH every day but now the number had dwindled to 1280 due to strike. He said that number of senior doctors had been increased and their working hours also doubled at PMCH in view of the strike.

Mr Prasad said that services of doctors from non-clinical departments were also being taken to meet the situation. He said hospital authorities were taking all possible steps to ensure patients did not suffer.